


Together

by Uncle_Riko



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 07:41:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12127728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Uncle_Riko/pseuds/Uncle_Riko
Summary: Riko looked so beautiful when she was smiling.





	Together

“Are you heading home this weekend, Lily?” Yoshiko prodded.

“Nope, it’s too far to go for just one weekend.”

Yoshiko rolled her eyes. As expected of Riko, being stubborn, now of all times. Sure, it was a fair bit of a train ride back to Uchiura, but that never stopped _Yoshiko_ from hauling ass back home the first chance she got.

“Well, would you want to do something? Get dinner maybe?”

Riko hesitated. She knew Yoshiko was only trying to be a good friend. She didn’t deserve to be caught in her depressing, apathetic crossfire. “We’ll see.”

 

* * *

 

Riko was never one to greet each day with laughter and song, but even Yoshiko could tell that this brand of disinterest went beyond “typical Riko.” She’d seen this behavior before, around the same time last September. It was curious, sure, but no less obvious to Yoshiko. It was almost insulting that Riko thought she could feign ignorance; Yoshiko had known her for years, and she thought she could pull the wool over the eyes a fallen angel? _Please._

It was over a year ago that Yoshiko decided to move in. She thought herself a benevolent demon, a slightly more appealing alternative to the notion that she was simply “chasing after love.” Hell, she hadn’t even planned to go to university. But she’d seen the way Riko looked at her friends when they’d said their goodbyes, Chika’s and You’s vivid smiles clashing against Riko’s strained attempts at enthusiasm. Riko may have made this choice herself, but that didn’t mean she damned herself to being alone.

Yoshiko had appealed to her under the guise of friendship, and although such pretenses had held thus far, maybe it was because there was a little more altruism to Yoshiko’s motives than she herself believed. Sure, she was in love with Riko, but all she wanted was to be there for her. Undoubtedly, Riko was unaware of Yoshiko’s feelings for her. But perhaps, it was better that way.

But the Yoshiko Effect was wearing off. Maybe Riko was growing tired of her. Maybe Yoshiko wasn’t enough anymore. Maybe she’d done all she could do. But despite believing it, she wouldn’t soon accept it.

 

* * *

 

Yoshiko was bad at gift giving. She was a proponent of cash and gift cards because, let’s face it, no one ever knew what the hell to get _her_. She’d received tons of… _interesting_ gifts over the years: books of spells, various feathered objects, scandalously embarrassing lingerie, _a shit ton of candles_. While she appreciated the attempts to appease her other half, she deemed it entirely unnecessary to exert such effort into something so trivial as finding “the perfect gift.”

But this time was different. A gift card felt shallow, impersonal, though she wasn’t sure what kind of message she was even meaning to send. Riko probably wouldn’t even read much into it, certainly not the amount Yoshiko was. But this was _Riko_ ; Yoshiko couldn’t just half-ass it.

She’d gotten suggestions from all of their friends, suggestions that were, frankly, unhelpful. She couldn’t afford a piano, or even a small keyboard; their apartment was too small anyways. She couldn’t write her a song because, well, that was more up Riko’s alley. Riko liked to draw and paint, but Yoshiko had become increasingly aware that art was a hobby Riko hadn’t touched in quite some time; it seemed rather petty to force something like art supplies on her, especially in the absence of her favorite Uchiura sunsets. And of course, while a steamy romance novel was plausible, it seemed more like a gag gift than a serious one, and that wasn’t quite the tone she wanted to establish.

Yoshiko had wandered around the city, exhausting all of her options. She quickly remembered why she preferred gift cards. No, no, – she couldn’t settle. Riko deserved better. But she was running out of time.

 

* * *

 

Riko sat at the dining room table, the furious scribbling of pen on paper, the livid swooshing of book pages the only detectable sounds.

This was stupid. Why did Yoshiko feel like a schoolgirl confessing to her crush? This wasn’t like that at all. But then again…Yoshiko was in love with Riko, seeking some sort of approval, some sort of acceptance. Why shouldn’t she feel nervous?

“How’s it going?” Yoshiko sat beside her, ever-mindful of her increasing falsetto.

It seemed however, that Riko knew where this conversation was going. “Just fine. Look, you don’t have to—”

“Here.” Yoshiko cut her off, setting a white envelope in front of her.

“…What’s this?”

“Open it.” Yoshiko watched with fervent interest. Riko wasn’t getting out of this one. “It’s the best I could do on a, uh, _non-existent_ budget.”

The redhead peered perplexedly at the slip of paper tucked inside. “…Fallen Angel Warding Charm…Level 100 Potency…?”

“T-Turn it over,” Yoshiko muttered, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

“…One free command that Yohane must follow without question…” Riko lips curved into a smile, obviously struggling to stifle a laugh.

“To ward away demons, get it…?”

“I got it,” she laughed. “It’s cute. Thank you, Yocchan.”

Oh lord, did it actually work? She’d managed to get a smile out of her. Riko looked so beautiful when she was smiling. But Yoshiko felt herself on the verge of tears. She didn’t know why – everything was getting blurry. She spontaneously threw her arms around Riko, embracing her tightly.

“Y’know, if you’re gonna get up close and personal, you might as well seal the deal.” There was a smug look on Riko’s face.

“Huh?”

The redhead sighed playfully, sliding the coupon back to Yoshiko. “Kiss me, you idiot.”

Yoshiko stared back at her with unexpecting wide eyes. Riko was tired, homesick, missing her friends. But in this moment, she wasn’t lonely. The smile on her face erased any semblance of that.

She faced Riko, those gorgeous golden eyes the last sight Yoshiko saw before her own eyes shut, the gap between their lips coming to a complete and sudden end.

 

 

“Happy Birthday, Lily.”


End file.
